SiC is increasingly being used as the semiconductor material for power semiconductor devices due to its material properties. Compared to Si, SiC-based power semiconductor devices provide higher efficiency, withstand higher breakdown voltage, operate at higher speed and require smaller package housings. However, compared to Si, SiC processing is more cost intensive. One reason for higher processing cost is that SiC has extremely high hardness compared to Si, which makes structuring and thinning SiC wafers using standard processes developed for Si wafers more cost intensive and time consuming.
Hence, new methods of thinning and structuring semiconductor wafers which are independent or at least less affected by material hardness are needed.